Scotland will draw inspiration from their agonising near-miss in 2022 as they chase a historic first-ever win over New Zealand at Murrayfield on Saturday.
The Scots have faced the All Blacks 32 times over 117 years, and never won. Their best results remain two Murrayfield stalemates: a 0-0 draw in 1964 and a 25-25 thriller in 1983.
But their last meeting, three years ago, came painfully close to rewriting history. Scotland led 23-14 heading into the final quarter, only for the visitors to storm back and win 31-23.
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Forwards coach John Dalziel says that memory still stings, and must now serve as fuel.
“A lot of growth and learning comes from how we stay on track and build on leads like that,” Dalziel said. “It’s about the mental toughness – if we’re in that position again with 20 minutes to go, we need to see it home.”
The All Blacks arrive in Edinburgh off the back of a bruising 26-13 win over Ireland in Chicago but have been hit by injuries to both Scott and Jordie Barrett, two of their key performers.
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Scotland, meanwhile, tuned up for the blockbuster with an 85-0 demolition of the USA at Murrayfield, but Dalziel knows the step-up in intensity will be massive.
“There’s been a huge stigma around the All Blacks in the past, and a lot of teams have built that up,” he said. “We’re focusing on ourselves, on what we can build, and we’ll keep that approach.”
Saturday’s Test offers Scotland another shot at ending one of rugby’s longest-running droughts – a victory over the men in black that’s been 117 years in the making.
Photo: Ross Parker/SNS Group
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